To Be Real
by Amy Shadows
Summary: After a freak accident in Zim's base leading to the loss of Dib's right arm some interesting things are revealed about the big headed boys past. Warning: Includes original character.
1. An Eye for an Eye, an Arm for an Arm

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I own not one thing. I'm typing this from a box I hot wired to a car to make into a computer. Believe me, I don't own anything.

Author's Note: If you were to listen to episode commentary on the Invader Zim DVD's you would hear them discuss an idea they once had about Dib's character. Based off this idea I have created this fanfic. I do not intend to give it away until the end of a later chapter so there. And no, it does not involve the thing with the arm that I have in this chapter, that was all the work of my severely messed up mind. This will also include some things involving my original character Jen and some ideas I had for the future on the show which means high skool age. for stats about Jen look at my other fic.

Don't Like, Don't Read, Don't Flame.

Chapter 1: Eye for an eye, an arm for an arm?

It was the summer before junior year of high skool. Jen and Kir had left to make a surprise visit to Irk (which pretty much was just their way of stopping the armada from making a surprise visit to Earth) and Zim was left on Earth with Gir. It was just like when they had first landed.

Of course, with Jen gone there was nothing intelligent stopping Dib from breaking into the lair, which he had done everyday since she left. He never made it very far before his inventions would shatter or her would have to leave for dinner, but today was different.

Zim didn't know he was down there that day, that fateful day. He had left the lens cap to his camera at home, he made sure there were batteries, and he constantly checked over his shoulder for any possible sign of disintegrating lasers. Oh those wretched lasers.

Half the roll of film was used and there were at least five video-feeds hooked up all around at this point. He checked his communicator watch and saw that it was nearly six. He'd have to get home soon or Gaz would kill him. That girl took her dinner seriously.

Dib turned around and saw the one thing that he wished he hadn't. The now 5'5 Zim, extended to an even higher level with his spider legs.

"Pitiful Earth boy, you've been trying this for the past so many days now,  
and have I ever given you the opportunity to succeed"

"First time for everything?" Dib asked nervously. Zim let out a maniacal laugh.

"That would be a no"

The chase commenced, just like old times. Zim fired multiple cannons, they missed, multiple pieces of expensive Irken equipment were destroyed. Dib made it all the way to the turn before the elevator. He grabbed the wall and turned himself in.

"Doors! Close!" Zim shouted. There was the horrible sound of bone cracking and Dib held back a scream, not all of him made it through the door.

"Well now what, Dib?" Came the maniacal voice of the crazy green boy. Strangely enough, Dib was thinking the same thing. He tried pulling back but that just sent a rush of pain up his arm.

"You're trapped, earth smell. Only one option left." Dib cringed knowing that the other boy was telling the truth. The only option left was for the doors to open on him, and that wasn't much of an option at all.

"All that's left for you now is for the doors to open and for you to meet your horrible fate at the hands of your greatest enemy. You'll never see the world up above us..."

That was the word. The trigger. A computerized voice came over the intercom inside the elevator to say "Voice recognized. Up command activated"  
The realization of what was about to happen hit Dib instantly and he braced himself for the pain that he knew was going to instantly follow. He couldn't pass out no matter what happened, that would be the worst possible thing to do. The floor under him lurched and he bit down tightly.

Outside the elevator Zim was still reveling in the position he thought he had put his enemy in. "And oh will these experiments be great and terrible Dib, how terrible." He was so busy congratulating himself that he didn't notice the fingers tense up before going completely limp.

On the surface Dib was breathing heavily and clutching the stub that was once his arm. He somehow managed to hit the communicator button and prayed that his sister would pick up. Lucky for him she did.

"Gaz..." he breathed. "Going...to...hospital...tell...dad..."

"Hospital?" She asked before getting cut off. Dib staggered away from the hideous green house, silently cursing himself for being so stupid as to try breaking in just that one more time.

Down below the Earth Zim finished his bragging and figured it was time to let the Earth boy out. "Doors, open." He said smugly. There was a heavy thump sound as the arm fell and only a second before the sickening realization kicked in. The alien's eyes widened once as he looked at the red that littered the inside of his elevator.

"Oops..."


	2. Dress Code Will Get You Every Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim or any other reference in here. Believe me, if I did it wouldn't have been as good.

Author's Note: Well I'm back baby. They kept me away for six days but I'm back, this time, knowing the rules. Okay, just a heads up, This chapter will feature my Original Character Jen in one of her biggest parts in a fan fic of mine. For background on her check my fic Invasion: Jen's Story. This one takes place after that one, but since I haven't finished that one than just go with it. Read on, no flames.

Chapter 2: Dress Code Will Get You Every Time

Dib walked back into the school for the beginning of junior year of high school. He glanced at the new seating chart and took his chair at the front of the room. He was dressed in his usual trench coat-boots look (some things never change) only now the look was accented with a nice pair of black leather gloves. There was something different about the boy now, he didn't even glare when he saw the alien in the back, it was more a look of disgust.

Zim chuckled to himself from the back of the class. It was something about the gloves that just made him laugh.

Jen came walking into class moments later. She looked at the chart and smiled before sitting next to Dib.

"Hey," she whispered. "I'm back."

"Obviously," he responded. There was a pause before the girl grabbed him in a hug. Zim glared from the back.

"Tighter grip than I remembered," she said, rubbing her now sore left arm. "And what's with the gloves?"

"Nothing..." he whispered as their teacher materialized behind the desk. Everyone grimaced at the sight of Miss Bitters, somehow she managed to move up a grade everytime they did.

"Everyone quiet down. It's time for daily dress code check. Stand up now." The class groaned and stood up. Bitters walked past each child, slowly analyzing each one.

"Zita, those pants have a tear forming, go to the office. Brian, your hair has more than one color, office." She towered over a nervous Jen (who had learned her dress code lesson two years prior) analyzing everything about her. "Take off your gloves." Jen complied and showed her hand that was almost identical to the glove. Bitters stared for a moment before moving on. "Dib..."

Zim nearly embarrassed himself from laughing. The glares from Dib and Bitters quickly stopped him. Dib sighed and pulled the glove from his left and then slowly pulled it from his right revealing a high-tech robotic arm. Jen stifled a gasp, the rest of the class wasn't as generous.

"Dib's a robot!"

"That explains the weird thing!"

"No it doesn't, robots are cool!

Dib's face turned a lovely shade of crimson as he sat back down. Jen looked from the arm back to where Zim seemed to be overly enjoying this. She glared in realization before turning back to the front.

* * *

"You ripped his arm off!" Jen screamed at Zim. Zim was crouched over some horrible experiment, barely paying attention to the girl. 

"Not on purpose," he covered with. "The elevator did it."

"No I didn't," the computer attempted to argue.

"Quiet!" The Irken hissed.

Jen's antennae perked up with another disturbing realization. "You said you spilled paint in their! I knew you weren't helping GIR with a project!"

"I can't believe you bought that," he said with a chuckle. "Zim truly is a master liar."

"How could I have not noticed," Jen whispered, pacing in a small circle. "What did you do to the arm?"

"It's back their," he motioned, suddenly his eagerness perked up. "Why? Blackmail?"

"We are not using his _arm_ for _blackmail!_" Jen said exasperatedly. When she looked back Zim was equipped with hygienic gloves and was opening one of the disturbing water filled containers. "What are you doing now."

"I'm going to run some scans on the humans limb to look for possible weaknesses," he said, sounding very pleased with his plan.

"Besides the _missing arm!_"

"He'll thank me for that in the future, did you see that fancy bionic arm he has now?" Zim said, trying to, yet again, cover for his stupid mistake. Jen just rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall, wanting to take no part in this horrible experiment. Zim placed the arm in his computers scanners and stepped back. "ComPUTER! Scan this arm for any human weaknesses."

"Processing...processing..." A ding went off as if popcorn was being made. "Processing complete. Scans of arm shows unprocessable data. Not a human arm..."

Author's Rant: So there you go. My first chapter after suspension. I hope you all liked it at least a little, this one really meant a lot to me. Please review and please don't flame me. And do not fear, the arm will be explained...


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